


Close Call

by SailorChibi



Series: daddy bucky verse [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Play, Baby Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Carrying, Crying, Cuddling, Daddy Clint Barton, Diapers, Gen, Hugging, Infantilism, Kidnapping Attempt, Little Headspace, Little Natasha Romanov, Mommy Laura Barton, Not Steve Friendly, Not Wanda Friendly, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Bruce Banner, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Has Nightmares, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Still Has Arc Reactor, Tony Stark has a hug, alternate universe - littles are known, because i like the reactor ok, civil war does not exist here, daddy bucky barnes, little Tony Stark, natasha romanov is ready to kick some ass, non sexual age play, non sexual infantilism, platonic sharing a bed, team civil war iron man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-10-29 14:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20798198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: With Maximoff and Steve gone, Bucky is just beginning to think that he and Tony might be okay... until someone tries to kidnap Tony.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As promised, the fourth part to this verse!

Bucky was awake the instant he heard his door open, but he didn't move. He waited, barely breathing, and eventually heard the sound of timid footsteps crossing the floor. He could tell who it was just by their gait and relaxed, cracking open an eye to see that Tony was hovering beside the bed. The uncertain look on Tony's face made Bucky's heart ache. Tony clearly didn't realize that Bucky was awake, and he stood there for at least a minute, maybe more, like he wasn't sure whether or not he should wake Bucky up. When Tony turned to go, Bucky pushed himself up on his elbows.

"Darlin'?" he said, and saw Tony flinch. 

"Sorry," Tony said without turning back around, scuffing a foot against the ground. "I didn't mean to wake you up." His voice came out very quiet, almost a whisper.

"It's okay. Did you need something?" Bucky asked, glancing over at the baby monitor that stood on his nightstand. It was powered off because Tony hadn't felt little last night, and had so many meetings today that he hadn't wanted to sleep in his crib and risk waking up feeling little. Bucky suspected that might have happened anyway. There wasn't much other reason for Tony to be in his room at 2:56am.

Tony was quiet for a moment, then said, "No."

"I don't believe you," Bucky said flatly. "Turn around. Look at me."

There was an even longer pause this time, and Bucky had just started to think that he was going to have to climb out of bed when Tony finally turned around. He wasn't crying, but there was something about the expression on his face that told Bucky something was wrong. He didn't say a word; he just held out his hand. Tony hesitated before slowly taking it. Bucky tightened his grip and gently pulled Tony closer, pushing the covers aside until there was a Tony-shaped space right beside him. Surprisingly, Tony was quick to jump into the bed and scoot closer.

Bucky wrapped his arms around Tony and hugged him. "What happened? Nightmares?" he asked, rubbing his cheek against Tony's soft hair.

"Yeah," Tony whispered.

"Wanna talk about it?" Bucky asked, keeping his voice calm. Really though, he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew the source of the nightmares that had been plaguing Tony for the better part of two and a half weeks now. Wanda Maximoff may have been banished from the tower, but her terrible attitude and the threat of her magic still lingered.

Tony shook his head, which was exactly what Bucky was expecting. He fisted both his hands into Bucky's muscle shirt, holding on so tightly his knuckles turned white. Bucky sighed but decided to let it go. It was enough that Tony had actually come to him for comfort even when he wasn't in his headspace. That was huge progress and Bucky didn't want to push too hard just in case it scared Tony away. So he just pulled the covers up around Tony's shoulders and closed his eyes, though he didn't actually fall asleep until long after he was certain that Tony had.

"Sergeant Barnes. Sir has to get up for his meeting."

"Mmm... what?" Bucky mumbled. It felt like barely five minutes had passed since Tony climbed into bed with him, but when Bucky opened his eyes this time he realized that there was sunlight pooling on the floor through the windows - usually that was what woke Bucky up, since he'd deliberately positioned his bed so that the sun would hit him no later than 9am. 

"Sir is going to be late if he doesn't get up," JARVIS said patiently. 

"Nooooo," Tony moaned, proving that he was awake and also that, no matter what his headspace was, Tony Stark never wanted to get out of bed. Bucky held back a laugh as Tony burrowed under the covers, wrapping both arms around Bucky's midsection and burying his face in Bucky's chest.

"Yes," JARVIS said. "Ms. Potts will be here in exactly twenty-nine minutes and she expects you to be ready. She will be most displeased to find you still in bed."

"But I'm tiiiiiiired," Tony whined.

"I'm not sure Ms. Potts will care," JARVIS said mildly, which wasn't exactly fair. Pepper probably would feel some sympathy, but Bucky also knew she'd been trying to schedule these particular meetings for the better part of two months now. So her sympathy would probably be limited. He decided it was time to intervene and pushed the blankets back until he could see the top of Tony's head.

"Hey," Bucky said.

Tony shook his head. "Nope."

Bucky had to bite back a grin. Tony really was adorable sometimes. "You gotta get up whether you want to or not, Tony. But how about this?" He smoothed a hand over Tony's hair. "If you get up now, I'll make you breakfast. And tonight, the two of us can order in pizza and watch a movie together."

"Will you make me chocolate chip pancakes?" Tony said, peeking up at him.

"Sure," Bucky said. "But we'd have to get up like right now."

"... Fine," Tony conceeded, rolling away from Bucky - though Bucky noticed there was still a definite pout on Tony's face as he climbed out of the bed. Cute as it was, it was also concerning. Their lives were too busy for Tony to go too long without sleeping. They were going to have to talk tonight whether Tony liked it or not.

Tony went off to get ready, and Bucky headed into the kitchen. The night after Steve and Maximoff had moved out, Bucky had moved into Tony's floor. He'd thought that it might be weird because Tony didn't stay in his little headspace all the time, but it wasn't. In fact, it was really nice to have someone else around. Bucky had quickly realized that he had no interest in going back to his own lonely floor. He liked being able to keep an eye on Tony all the time, and he especially liked that Tony now felt comfortable enough to seek Bucky out even when he wasn't little.

Bucky hurriedly whipped up some pancakes. By the time Tony came out, Bucky had three pancakes waiting for him. Tony sat down, still fixing his tie, and ate quickly. Bucky continued cooking his own breakfast, but glanced periodically at Tony. He didn't like the sight of the growing circles under Tony's eyes. It seemed like Tony slept pretty well when they shared a bed. It was definitely safer for a baby to sleep in their crib, but was it really better for Tony if he was constantly waking up from nightmares? Maybe Tony would prefer it if they continued to share a bed for a little while? They could talk about it, at least.

"Ms. Potts is waiting for you," JARVIS announced. "She asked me to tell you that if you are not downstairs within the next five minutes, she is going to let Lila and Natasha do your hair for the next gala."

"Oh god," Tony said, face paling. He leapt to his feet and grabbed his tablet. "Gotta go, see you tonight, bye Daddy!" He full-on sprinted out of the room at full speed, not that Bucky could blame him. Lila and Natasha had a certain creativity when it came to playing dress-up that was dangerous.

It took him much longer than it should have to realize that Tony had called him 'Daddy'. Bucky stood there frozen for so long that one of his pancakes began to burn, and then he ended up swearing up a storm and hastily taking the frying pan off the stove. Tony had never done that before. What did that mean? His mind spun as he got rid of the burned food and dumped the pan in the sink to soak. One thing was for sure. Something was _definitely_ bothering Tony. Bucky resolved to get to the bottom of it tonight.

He didn't know that he wouldn't have to wait that long.

At a few minutes after one, Bucky was sitting on the couch on the common floor playing a racing car game with Lila, Natasha, Cooper and Clint. Bucky was proud to say that all of them were soundly trouncing Clint's ass, much to Laura's and Natasha's endless amusement. Clint let out an agonized yell as his character spun wildly out of control and careened off the track thanks to Cooper deliberately driving into him. Cooper cackled as he revved the engine and sped up, crossing the finish line in first place a hair ahead of Bucky and Lila.

"Killed by my own child!" Clint cried dramatically amidst laughter.

Bucky's phone rang, the sound barely audible. Still chuckling, Bucky picked it up. "Hello?"

"Bucky, it's Pepper. You need to get down here right now. Someone tried to kidnap Tony," Pepper said.

The levity immediately vanished from Bucky’s expression, replaced by something icy cold. "What?"

Natasha sat up. Clint stopped laughing.

"We were on our way to a meeting. Tony and I were on foot because we wanted to talk and someone - oh, just get down here! Tony needs you!" Pepper rattled off an address and then hung up.

"Someone tried to kidnap Tony," Bucky said, jumping up.

"I'm coming with you," Natasha said instantly. She'd been on the verge of her little headspace moments ago, but now there was something razor sharp about her expression. Bucky didn't even try to argue with her; it just wasn't worth the time. He ran out of the room with Natasha on his heels.

Rather than waste time trying to make their way downtown during lunch hour traffic, Bucky and Natasha went on foot. Bucky's heart pounded the whole way, and it had very little to do with the physical exertion. The thought of something happening to Tony was absolutely terrifying. He charged into the building, plowing right through the security guys that tried to stop him, and took the stairs two at a time. It still seemed to take forever before he finally got the fifth floor, where Pepper had said they would be. He burst out of the stairwell and looked around frantically.

Pepper was the first person he saw. Her expression filled with relief when she saw him, and she immediately gestured to a door opposite her. "He's not doing very well," she said as Bucky rushed towards her. "He needs you."

Bucky didn't bother to ask her for details, just threw the door open and burst into the room. He was vaguely aware of Pepper pulling the door shut behind him, and of her and Natasha beginning a quiet conversation, but all of Bucky's attention was focused on the man standing in front of the window. Tony liked heights, Bucky knew. He'd told Bucky once that being up high reminded him of flying in the suit, and that sometimes when he was having a hard time it made him feel better.

But it didn't seem to be doing the trick today. Tony startled at the sound of the door opening and closing and spun around. His brown eyes were full of tears, though he blinked rapidly like he was trying to hold them back. His black suit jacket was gone and his tie had been sliced in half. His white shirt was stained with smudges of black and - Bucky's heart froze. Was that blood?

"It's not mine," Tony said, following Bucky's gaze. "It's - well, I got grazed by a bullet, but -"

There was no need to hear anything else. Bucky closed the distance between them and jerked Tony into a hug. It was only once they were touching that Bucky realized that Tony was shaking like a leaf. 

"It's fine," Tony went on, sounding increasingly shaky. "I've been kidnapped before... it's not a big deal... I -" He cut himself off with a sob.

"It is a big deal," Bucky said quietly, fiercely. His fury burned through his blood, but he knew that comforting Tony was more important. Natasha could, and would, go after the people who were responsible if they hadn't been caught yet. There was only one person who could take care of Tony right now.

"It was so scary, Daddy," Tony cried, finally breaking. He collapsed into sobs, melting into Bucky's arms.

"I know. I know, Baby. You're okay now. I'm here," Bucky whispered, scooping him up and holding him close. He rocked Tony back and forth, stroking Tony's hair while Tony wept. One thought repeated constantly in his mind.

Whoever had done this was going to _pay_.


	2. Chapter 2

It took a little while before Bucky could get the full story out of Tony. Apparently, one of the meetings he and Pepper had been a part of had ended a little bit earlier than expected. Pepper had suggested they walk down to the nearest Starbucks for a coffee, to which Tony had eagerly agreed – Little or not, caffeine probably made up 50% of Tony Stark’s blood at this point.

The two of them had gone alone, since they wanted the chance to talk about how the meetings had been progressing and re-think their plan of attack for the afternoon portion. They’d gotten their drinks and had been on the way back when a man ran up to them, brandishing a gun, and ordered them both to get in the vehicle idling at the curb. Here, Tony tapered off for a moment before turning to Bucky with eyes full of guilt.

“Pepper was really brave, Daddy,” he said, his chin quivering. “But she was scared too. They tried to kidnap her because of me.”

“It’s not your fault, Tony,” Bucky said immediately, knowing Tony well enough to know where Tony’s brain had already gone. Tony was sitting beside him, but Bucky couldn’t resist the urge to scoop him up and move Tony into his lap. It turned out to be the right move. Tony immediately cuddled into him, burying his face in Bucky’s chest.

“They didn’t know I had my wrist gauntlet on me. I managed to get the gun away from the guy. The people in the car got away,” Tony said, words muffled but still audible. “The police came and arrested the guy with the gun.”

There was way more to the story than that, Bucky was sure. Tony’s version didn’t explain the blood on Tony’s shirt, the fact that his tie had been cut, or the bruising on his face. Yet Bucky also knew that was probably the only version he’d get right now. Pepper would be a more reliable source, since Tony always tried to downplay his role as a hero. For now, Bucky brushed his lips across Tony’s temple.

“You were brave too,” he said quietly. “My brave baby boy. I’m proud of you.”

Tony clutched him tighter at those words, if it were possible. Bucky gently ran his fingers through Tony’s head and looked up at a knock on the door. He tensed for a moment, because Tony was really in no position to be seen by anyone who didn’t know he was a Little right now. He wasn’t _quite_ in his headspace – Tony had a hard time going there all the way outside the tower – but he was closer than Bucky had seen him be without going all the way in a long time.

“It’s me,” Pepper called out. “Just me.”

“Come in, then,” Bucky said.

Pepper pushed the door open just enough for her to slide in. She shut the door behind her without being asked and turned to Bucky, which gave Bucky the chance to really see her for the first time – he’d been in too much of a rush to get to Tony before. Now, he saw that Pepper was just as pale as Tony. She also had some blood on her once pale pink shirt, but Bucky didn’t think it was hers.

“I gave the police my statement, but they want to talk to Tony,” she said wearily. “Tony? What you do think?”

“I’m not sure –” Bucky began.

“It’s fine,” Tony interrupted, lifting his tear-streaked face.

“Tony,” Bucky said.

“They won’t go away. It’ll look suspicious if I don’t talk to them,” Tony said, wiping his face with his sleeve. “I can do it. It’ll be just a minute or two.”

Bucky and Pepper exchanged resigned looks, because they both knew that Tony was right. After all, no one was going to expect that Tony Stark, Iron Man and billion-dollar businessman, would be so rattled by a kidnapping attempt that he didn’t want to talk to the police about it. If the press heard about that, there would definitely be questions that no one was comfortable answering flying around. 

Yet that did nothing to ease Bucky’s concern as Tony pulled himself together and nodded at Pepper. He stayed close, probably too close, as Tony made his statement to the police. Tony kept it simple and very factual, adding a few more details Bucky hadn’t heard before, like the fact that the guy with the gun had tried to shoot Tony, but the bullet had missed and hit a passing bystander. That’s where the blood on both Tony and Pepper came from. It was clear that Tony felt very, very guilty about that.

When the statement was finished, Bucky wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulders and led Tony down to the car. The fact that Tony didn’t protest spoke volumes about how Tony was doing mentally, because if he’d been fine, he would’ve insisted on staying behind to finish out the meetings. Pepper walked downstairs with them, her usual spark noticeably dimmer.

“Happy’s coming to get me,” she said quietly when she noticed Bucky sneaking looks at her. “So you can rein it in, Mama Bear. Leave your fussing for Tony.”

“I’m not fussing,” Bucky lied. Pepper wasn’t a Little, of course, but he would’ve seen her home regardless if Happy hadn’t been coming. No one needed to be alone after something traumatic like that.

Happy was just pulling up when they got downstairs; he leaped out of the car and rushed over to Pepper’s side, looking her over to be sure she wasn’t hurt before pulling her into a hug. Bucky politely looked away when Pepper started to cry, ushering Tony over to their car. He got Tony into the passenger seat, nodded at Happy when Happy glanced over at them and received a nod in return, and slid into the driver’s seat.

“Wait, where’s Natasha?” Tony said. “I thought I saw her come with you?”

“Natasha’s otherwise occupied,” Bucky said delicately. He’d received a very short message from her that basically said she was off to hunt down the assholes who’d been in the vehicle. It would only be a matter of time before she tracked them down. No one got away from the Black Widow.

Tony was good enough at reading between the lines to recognize what that meant. He nodded without speaking and turned to look out the window. He remained quiet the whole way back to the tower, which only served to heighten Bucky’s concern. But there was nothing he could do it about until they were behind closed doors, maddeningly frustrating though that was. 

When they got to the tower, Bucky parked in the lower bays and they took the elevator up to Tony’s – their – floor. Bucky got a couple of texts as he elevator doors opened; he checked reflexively and saw that both were from Laura, letting him know that Clint had left the tower to join Natasha and that she, Bruce, Thor and the kids were downstairs if he and Tony needed anything, which Bucky knew translated to mean that she would be keeping everyone away. Laura, bless her, was smart enough to know that he and Tony would need privacy right now.

He hung back for a moment, watching Tony. It wasn’t always easy to figure out what Tony needed, even though Bucky did his best. He couldn’t tell if Tony wanted more hugs and cuddles, or if Tony wanted to march down to the workshop and throw himself into helping Natasha and Clint figure out who had been behind this latest kidnapping stunt. If Tony wanted to do the latter, Bucky was perfectly happy joining the hunt… but he thought Tony might not even be sure himself right now.

And then Tony reached up to take his tie off, and he looked at the ruined tie and said, in a wobbly voice, “They ruined my tie.”

“Aw, Darlin’,” Bucky whispered, just as Tony began to cry again. He immediately moved closer, pulling Tony into a big hug.

“They ruined my tie, Daddy,” Tony cried. “Rhodey bought me that tie!”

“I’m sure Rhodes will understand,” Bucky said soothingly. Oh, Rhodey would understand alright. He’d want to take the cost of the tie out on the asses of the idiots who’d tried to kidnap Tony. 

“But he bought it for me!” Tony said, big tears running down his face.

Bucky considered him for a moment, then said, “Baby, do you want to talk to Rhodes?”

“He’s probably busy,” Tony mumbled.

“I’m sure he’s not too busy for you,” Bucky said, very gently. He knew how important Tony and Rhodey were to each other. No matter where Rhodey was, if Tony needed him, he’d be there.

Tony didn’t look convinced. “I don’t wanna bother him,” he said in a tiny voice.

“You’re not. JARVIS, could you get Rhodes on the phone?” Bucky asked.

“Of course,” JARVIS said. Not a minute later, Tony’s cell started to ring. Tony made no move to answer, so Bucky grabbed it.

“Hello?” he said.

“Tony? Bucky? Where’s Tony? What’s going on? JARVIS pinged me with a 911,” Rhodes said, sounding frantic. 

“Tony was almost kidnapped today,” Bucky said. Tony flinched.

“What?!” Rhodes burst out. “What the _fuck_ –”

“I’ll let Tony tell you the details, but he’s very upset because the tie you got for him got ruined,” Bucky explained, hoping Rhodes would pick up on what he wasn’t saying.

There was a lengthy pause on Rhodes’s end, and then he let out a sigh. “Right. Please put him on for me.”

“Here,” Bucky said, putting the phone to Tony’s ear.

“Rhodey?” Tony said in that same, uncertain voice. Rhodey must have said something because Tony started to cry, but he also reached up and took over holding the phone. Bucky stepped away, deciding that he’d give them some privacy, and went into the bathroom to run Tony a bath.

“Is Tony okay physically, JARVIS?” he asked, leaning over to start the tub.

“I can see no signs of physical trauma beyond light bruising,” JARVIS replied. “Young sir was telling the truth when he said that he was not harmed in any way.”

So, JARVIS had been listening while they were at the other building. Bucky wasn’t surprised. He’d come to learn pretty quickly that when you were with Tony, it was always easier to assume that JARVIS was monitoring the situation in some way. After a little while, he’d even come to find that knowledge reassuring. It was probably, now that Bucky thought about it, JARVIS who had alerted the police about the kidnapping attempt.

“Okay, good. Let Tony know where I am when he’s off the phone,” said Bucky. He added in a generous cap full of the bubble bath that Tony liked the most, mostly because it produced red-tinted bubbles and smelled like cotton candy. He perched on the edge of the tub and watched it slowly fill up.

It was frustrating to know that he couldn’t be out there hunting down the people who’d tried to hurt Tony. He would love the chance to wrap his hands around their throats and just slowly squeeze the lives out of them. But he knew that Natasha wouldn’t rest until she found out who it was, and Tony needed Bucky here. There was no one else who could comfort Tony right now the way that Bucky could.

Tony came in about ten minutes later, tear tracks on his face. “Rhodey says he’s not mad,” he told Bucky, scuffing his foot against the floor. “He says I did a good job.”

“You did a very good job,” Bucky said seriously. “We’re both really proud of you.” He held his arms out. Tony came without any further prodding, slipping into the hug. 

“He said he’d buy me a new tie,” Tony said.

Bucky smiled in spite of himself. “I bet he’d buy you as many new ties as you wanted,” he said, moving to unbutton Tony’s shirt. Tony stood quietly and let Bucky divest him of his clothing and soiled diaper. Bucky tossed the clothes in the hamper and the diaper in the bin, then turned back Tony and helped him to climb into the tub.

Once Tony was clean, Bucky gave him a few toys to encourage him to play. It took a little while, but eventually Tony was happily submerging his boats. That gave Bucky the chance to lean back and really look at him. He could see what JARVIS had meant about the bruising. There was some bruising on Tony’s right cheek, likely from a punch, and another splotch on Tony’s right arm. Bucky silently catalogued them, memorizing the shape and color. He’d be paying them back threefold.


	3. Chapter 3

Shortly after Bucky had settled Tony down for a nap, his cell vibrated. He lingered for a moment, watching Tony's chest peacefully rise and fall, before he partially closed the door and grabbed his phone. "Hello?"

"It's me," Natasha said. "We got them."

"Good," Bucky said, closing his eyes against a wave of relief. Brazen kidnappers like that rarely stopped after just one attempt. The whole time he was giving Tony a bath, Bucky couldn't help thinking that there was a chance they would try again. Not that he minded following Tony around to foil any future attempts, but he knew that Tony would hate that. Tony cherished his freedom too much.

"They're in SHIELD custody. We're going to question them in a couple of hours. Fury wants to let them sweat a little bit," Natasha went on. "You and Tony can be here when it happens if you want."

"Tony's sleeping right now. I'll check with him when he wakes up," Bucky said. Tony had seemed pretty little when Bucky put him to bed; he wasn't sure that Tony would be in the right headspace for a trip to SHIELD when he got up. No matter how much Bucky wanted to be there to see the assholes who had almost gotten away with kidnapping the most precious thing in Bucky's life, Tony's health unquestionably came first.

Natasha was quiet for a moment. Her voice was softer when she said, "How is he?"

"Shaken, but I think he'll be okay. Much as I hate to admit it, Tony is used to kidnapping attempts." Bucky paced into the kitchen, feeling a little restless now that his adrenaline was starting to die out and he didn't have Tony to focus on. "I'm going to guess that next time, he'll take a care to the coffeeshop."

"As he should," Natasha said crisply. "Text me later."

She hung up without further word, not that Bucky was surprised. If he knew Natasha as well as he thought he did, he was pretty sure she'd be on her way to the sparring yard to work off some of her adrenaline. Bucky wouldn't have minded joining her, but he didn't want to leave Tony alone right now. He drummed his fingers on the counter for a few seconds, then shrugged and headed into the living room. He queued up one of the yoga videos that Bruce was so fond of and started a routine.

By the time Bucky heard the sounds of a certain someone stirring, he had gone through two yoga routines and was feeling remarkably calmer. He grabbed a towel and dabbed at his face as he headed back into Tony's nursery. Tony was laying on his back, watching the way his mobile swung slowly in a circle. Bucky walked over to the crib and stood there for a moment, listening to the melody. JARVIS had scoured the internet for a mobile that would play AC/DC's 'Back in Black', which was one of Tony's favorite songs. When the A.I. couldn't find any such mobile, he'd helped Bucky find someone who could make one.

"How you feeling?" Bucky asked softly, looking down at Tony.

"Okay," Tony said, eyes half-lidded. "Who was on the phone?"

"Before? It was Natasha." Bucky leaned against the crib. "They caught the suspects and wanted to know if we'd like to be there for the interrogation."

"Yes," Tony said immediately, sitting up.

"Whoa," Bucky said, gently catching Tony's upper arm. "I think it's a good idea, but I also think that you shouldn't plan to confront them yourself."

Tony scowled. "Why not? I'm the one who they tried to kidnap. If anyone deserves to -"

"I know, you're right," Bucky said, holding up a hand. Tony _was_ right - but Bucky also worried that confronting those people would do Tony more damage than benefit in the long run. Bucky had no idea what kind of people the attempted kidnappers were, but too many people had tried to attack Tony because they believed Tony had slighted them in some way, usually when Tony hadn't done anything to them. Bucky could see how those encounters wore on Tony every time they happened. 

"Then why?" Tony demanded, crossing his arms in a way that more adorable than threatening. Bucky thought quickly and seized upon the one answer he thought might sway Tony.

"Because you're not an experienced interrogator. Not like Natasha, Clint, and some of the other agents at SHIELD are. They'll be able to get more of them than you will," Bucky explained. "Seeing their target could just cause them to clam up."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Are you just bullshitting me?"

If he was swearing, he definitely wasn't feeling little. Bucky hit the latch to let the side of the crib drop and shook his head. "No, I'm telling you what I honestly think."

There was a significant pause before Tony blew his breath out in a frustrated sigh. "Fine. I guess you have a point," he muttered begrudgingly, swinging his legs over the side of the crib. He swayed slightly when he stood up, and Bucky reached out automatically to steady him.

"Do you want help getting changed?" he asked.

"No, I'm okay," Tony said, which was exactly what Bucky was expecting. Knowing that meant Tony wanted some space, he merely nodded and retreated out of the room. As he walked back to the kitchen, he tapped out a text to Natasha to let her know that he and Tony would be at SHIELD within the hour. Natasha responded promptly with 'ok', which told Bucky that she'd been fully expecting his response.

While Tony got dressed, Bucky put together a quick meal of chicken noodle soup and sandwiches. His stomach was growling, and he knew he'd never make it through a session at SHIELD unless he ate. It wouldn't hurt Tony to eat either, since he and Pepper wouldn't have gotten the chance to consume whatever they'd bought at the coffeeshop. If left to his own devices, Tony would probably forget all about eating. Especially after something like this. If Bucky weren't here, he would've gone down to the workshop and thrown himself into work until he passed out.

It was a sobering thought, and, when Tony walked into the kitchen, Bucky greeted him with a big hug. Tony tensed for a moment in surprise before he melted into the hug, bringing his arms up to wrap around Bucky's waist. Bucky pressed his face into Tony's hair and inhaled the calming scent of baby shampoo mixed with the cologne Tony favored while lightly running his left hand down Tony's back, feeling the stiff fabric of Tony's suit jacket. He stood there for a long moment, just savoring the fact that Tony was still here and that Bucky was lucky enough to be the one who got to take care of him. Without Tony, his life would be so _empty_. He would have nothing.

"Bucky?" Tony said at last, voice quiet. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Just thinking about how easily I could've lost you," Bucky whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Tony's head. Then, reluctantly, he let go. "Thanks for indulging me."

"Hey," Tony said. "This goes two ways, remember?" He put a hand on Bucky's arm. "You might be my caregiver, but I'm also your Little. I'm here whenever you need some comfort." He paused, watching Bucky closely. "If you want... Pepper has cancelled all our meetings for tomorrow. When we come back from SHIELD, I wouldn't mind being little for a while... I could use a night and day where I don't have to think about anything."

"That sounds really good," Bucky said honesty, shooting him a smile. "Now come over here and have a quick meal with me before we leave."

"I'm not that hungry," Tony said, but he was quick to sit down and dig into the bowl of soup that Bucky set in front of him. 

"How is Pepper?" Bucky asked.

Tony took one of the sandwiches. "I was texting with her while I got dressed. She's upset, but okay. I think. I'm glad that Happy is with her."

"Me too. Pepper's a strong woman, but a kidnapping attempt would rattle anyone," Bucky said. 

"I don't think it's ever happened to Pepper before," Tony admitted. "People usually wait until I'm alone to come after me. They don't want witnesses. It's kind of weird that they made an attempt in broad daylight. There were so many people around." He frowned and shoved the sandwich into his mouth.

Bucky turned away to hide his satisfied smile. "Well, I guess we'll find out once we go to SHIELD. I'm sure Natasha is fully prepared to wring every bit of information out of them that she can."

"I'm looking forward to it," Tony said, devouring his sandwich in several large bites. "Okay, ready!"

"Let me clear the dishes," Bucky said, laughing. He stood up and collected the dishes, setting them in the sink. The meal had helped him to find his earlier calm, and he held onto it. He knew he was going to need it to keep from snapping when he saw the assholes who had tried to kidap the only good thing in Bucky's life.

By unspoken agreement, the two of them took one of Tony's cars to SHIELD. When they got there, Tony emerged from the car and immediately pasted on a cocky smirk. He strutted up to the entrance like he didn’t have a car in the world. It didn’t escape Bucky’s notice that most of the SHIELD agents who walked by threw Tony annoyed or disgusted looks, which rankled. Their sheer lack of appreciation made Bucky want to personally school every one of them in why they were being so stupid.

Natasha met them on the second floor. She immediately stepped towards Tony, setting a worried hand on his arm. “You good?”

“I will be,” Tony said, giving her a small smile. They looked at each other for a moment, sizing each other up, before Natasha gave a sharp nod.

“We’ve put them in a room on the tenth floor,” she announced, gesturing for them both to follow her into the elevator. “They’re not talking. They claim they don’t remember who ordered them to kidnap you.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “They don’t remember?” he repeated. That was a new one.

“Right? If you believe them, one moment they were sitting at a bar talking and the next moment they were under arrest for trying to kidnap you.” She swept her hair back as she spoke, briskly tying it up into a bun. “Fury thinks they’re full of shit. I’m not convinced either way.”

Tony looked pensive, but all he did was shrug. “I guess we’ll know once you question them.”

“Yes, we will,” Natasha said, with the complete confidence of someone who had never failed at this. She strutted out of the elevator, every inch the SHIELD agent. Bucky watched her go, frowning slightly, and then pulled out his phone and typed out a quick warning to Laura. Whenever Natasha got this deep into being a SHIELD agent, she usually crashed really hard into her little headspace when she came out of it. He had the feeling that Laura and Clint were going to be in for a rough night.

He and Tony were shown into a tiny room that Bucky had never been inside before. The left wall was clear, showing them the interrogation room beyond it. Bucky stepped up to the wall, staring at the three men sitting there. They were of varying ethnicities, diverse ages – he’d peg the youngest at maybe early twenties, while the oldest was around sixty - even their clothing suggested a difference in financial status. The only similarity between them was that they were all wearing the same dazed expression.

“They can’t see us, right?” Bucky said.

“No. This is Stark Tech. They can’t even see a mirror; the holograph projects a wall identical to the other three,” Tony said quietly, arms folded over his chest.

“Right,” Bucky said slowly. When he’d pictured the people who had tried to kidnap Tony, it wasn’t three clueless men who looked like they had no idea what the hell was going on.

Predictably, the interrogation did not go well. None of the men could explain how or why they’d tried kidnapping Tony. Their stories remained consistent no matter how many times they were quizzed. If what they said was true, they didn’t even know each other. Bucky could see Natasha’s frustration mounting as time went on. She finally stopped and gave him and Tony a look of pure irritation, then turned and swept out of the room.

“Well, that went great,” Tony said, but he didn’t sound surprised. “Daddy, can we go home now?”

Bucky turned to him, startled. “Of course we can. Come on.”

Puzzled, he led Tony out of the room and back to the elevator. Tony remained quiet as they rode it back down to the first floor, mouth pressed into a grim line. He was clearly thinking very hard about something, but Bucky wasn’t sure what. He was usually pretty good at reading Tony, but the day had been such a mess so far that he had no idea what was going through Tony’s head.

“Tony!”

The familiar voice rang out as soon as the elevator doors slid open, like the speaker had been just _waiting_ for their moment. Based on who it was, Bucky knew damn well that was exactly the case. Tony flinched slightly, but otherwise didn’t react, as Steve rushed up to them. Wanda trailed along behind him, her expression set into a childish pout.

“Steve,” Bucky said warily, wondeing why he hadn’t considered this possibility. Shit. 

“I heard about what happened. Are you okay?” Steve asked, looking Tony over. He sounded genuinely concerned, which was a start.

“I’m fine,” Tony said. “It was a botched attempt.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m glad that SHIELD caught them,” Steve said. “Do you know why?”

Tony smiled coldly. “Why, thinking that I did something to provoke them?”

“What? No!” Steve said. 

“Yes,” Wanda said at the same time.

“Wanda,” Steve hissed.

“Yeah, I bet you did. I bet you’d just hate it if I just mysteriously disappeared,” Tony said icily. “Pretty coincidental that the three people who tried to kidnap me can’t remember why, or anything about it. Almost sounds like magic.”

Wanda scowled. “What are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything. I’m just saying. Quite a coincidence,” Tony repeated, giving her a hard stare. Wanda glared back.

The penny finally dropped, and Bucky couldn’t believe he hadn’t put two and two together before. But even as he arrived at what he felt sure was the right conclusion, he could see that Steve was still completely clueless. Steve was just standing, head turning back and forth between Wanda and Tony like it was on a swivel. It was maddening how oblivious he could be sometimes.

“Let’s make sure there are no further coincidences in the future,” Bucky said finally, breaking the staring contest. “Or there might be more than a few consequences.” He gave Wanda a pointed look, and was pleased to see her go a bit pale. She may not have been afraid of Tony, but it seemed she still had a healthy respect for Bucky.

He wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulders and steered him away, ignoring both Steve and Wanda. His heart pounded against his ribs as he led Tony back down to the parking lot, but neither one of them spoke until they were safely back in the car – it was too dangerous in SHIELD, where everything was closely monitored. Bucky was positive that their conversation would make it back to Fury within the hour. Good. Let this become Fury’s problem too.

“I don’t know for sure,” Tony said as soon as the doors were shut. “But I mean, it makes sense.”

“It makes _too much_ sense. I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together myself,” Bucky said, just barely keeping himself from snarling. Little or not, he really wanted to march back inside and put his face through Wanda’s pretty face.

Tony sighed, looking away. “That’s what she’s good at. Operating under the radar.”

“She’s not going to hurt you,” Bucky said, grabbing Tony’s hand. “Baby, you know that, right? I won’t let her.”

“I know,” Tony said with a small smile. He squeezed Bucky’s hand, but his fingers felt cold. “What can we do, though? We have no proof.”

Bucky shook his head. “I don’t know. But we’ll do something, I swear.” Yet even as he spoke, he wasn’t sure that Tony believed him, and that was frustrating even if it was a warranted reaction: Wanda had figured out how to game the system a long time ago. Between her magic, her batting eyelashes, and her status as a Little, it wasn’t going to be easy. What _were_ they going to do?

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


End file.
